CLASSICS 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Dactylic Hexameter, Homeric Question, Odysseus
15 Dec 2016
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Comparison to the iliad: adventure story vs a collaboration of stories. Homer: written in 7th/8th century answer to the homeric question: written by different ppl from different traditions; argument: first four books of the odyssey repeated in book 5. > characters and places: odysseus, telemachus, penelope, athena, poseidon, polyphemus (cyclops); Proem: first word in greek = andra meaning man. In medias res = an effective story-telling technique that starts in the middle (medias) of things (res) A story in two (or four) parts: books 1-4: the telemachy. Book 1: reference to orestes & agamemnon to warn odysseus of his wife; plays up the virtue of penelope in opposition to clytemnestra. Telemachus learns nothing when away hears stories from nestor & menelaus. Speculation that these books were added [deemed unnecessary]: repeated in start of book 5: books 5-8: the wandering. Start of book 5: athena turns to zeus asking why he isn"t helping odysseus like he said he would.
